A Love That Could Transcend Time
by ComfortablyConfused
Summary: An unexpected question from Rukia causes Byakuya to remember Hisana. The first day he met her, and how their relationship grew. Not the best summary, I know. My first fanfic, so please read. Reviews are always appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone, kiri123 here!

Please be kind, because this is the first fanfic I've ever written. This is ByakHisa, with a BIT of IchiRuki if you look with heavy duty binoculars through a magnifying glass.

My knowledge of Japanese culture is pretty much nonexistent, so please don't hesitate to tell me if I got anything wrong. This should take place around Hanami, the flower viewing season, sometime during the Winter War. I'm not sure if they have fireworks around this time, but like I said; tell me if I get it wrong, because for now, I'm just completely winging it! I know that some of you hate it when random Japanese is put into sentences, like _baka_ and _gomen_, so I'll try to avoid that.

_Italics_ are the past and _**Bold Italics **_are Byakuya's deeper thoughts

Normal is the present

Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll like it!

_**He loved her dearly. There was no denying that. **_

_**He cared for her more than his responsibilities as a Kuchiki. **_

_**She was the most precious light in his life. To say anything less would be a lie.**_

_**Her name was Kuchiki Hisana.**_

"Nii-sama?"

Kuchiki Byakuya glanced upwards, his cold gray eyes betraying no hint of the thoughts that had echoed in his head a moment before.

"What is it, Rukia?"

Rukia stood there quietly beside him, a cup of tea in her hands, much like Hisana would before she had fallen ill. The sunlight shifted, and, just for a moment, Rukia was Hisana. The same grace, the same height, the same hesitant, soft smile, and the same large, captivating violet eyes. The resemblance between the two sisters was amazing.

"Nii-sama, how long did you know Hisana before you married her?"

For a moment, Byakuya only stared. This was the question he had least expected her to ask, at a time like this, in the middle of the Winter War.

"My deepest apologies, Nii-sama, if you are uncomfortable with this subject, but please, I would like an answer." There was a steel edge to Rukia's voice that told him she would not take refusal for an answer.

"Sit down, Rukia."

Rukia jumped, slightly surprised. "Y-yes Nii-sama," she whispered, and knelt down beside him.

"Hisana…" he gazed out into the garden, his eyes miles away from the koi pond and sakura trees.

_**How long did I know her before we married?**_

_**It was definitely after she left Rukia.**_

_**How long did I know Hisana…. **_

_**Quite a long time.**_

Okay! That was just sort of the first part of my two-shot. Sorry for the cliffhanger heh….*please don't kill me*

Reviews are loved! Flames keep me warm, though too many will burn.

Please review, and if you do, I'll try to post the next chapter faster!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again everyone! **READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE COMPLETELY CONFUSED!**

Wow….that was pretty fast for me, the girl with no motivation whatsoever!

Thank you to **Juud, Lady Toky, Master Solo,** and **LadiiAJ95** for reviewing! Thank you thank you thank you all so very much!

I've decided to just let this be a story, and as for how long it will be…well…that depends on how much I can write.

**THE IMPORTANT PART:**

Last chapter, it was: _Italics_ are the past and _**Bold Italics **_are Byakuya's deeper thoughts

Normal is the present

I'm switching it around a bit now. _Italics_ are for very short flashbacks. The rest is all the same, but I'll be using Normal font for these memories.

**READ THE MESSAGE ABOVE ^^**

I forgot the disclaimer, so this is to make up for last time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or any of the characters. If I did, Bleach would become pages of OOC scribbles, and it would ALL be IchiRuki and ByaHisa.

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

_**How long did I know her before we married?**_

_**It was definitely after she left Rukia.**_

_**How long did I know Hisana…? **_

_**Quite a long time.**_

*_Long flashback into the past_*

"Oi, Bya-bo!"

Byakuya growled, and turned around. "What do you want, stupid were-cat?"

Shihoin Yoruichi, in all her glory in cat-form, leaped onto his shoulder. "Follow me, Bya-bo! There's someone I want you to meet!" she snickered as she stole his hair ribbon and shunpo'ed away, leaving nothing behind but a few stray cat hairs and a furious, red-faced Byakuya.

(A/N: I'm not sure if shunpo'ed is the right term though…)

"GIVE IT BACK, STUPID WERE-CAT!" Byakuya shouted, and shunpo'ed after her, with every intention of wringing her scrawny little cat-neck.

"Catch up to me first, Bya-bo!" Yoruichi taunted, and sped ahead, leaving Byakuya far behind, with only a faint dust trail left for him to follow.

"Stupid were-cat…" Byakuya grumbled, "When I catch her I swear I'll run her stupid tail over with a-WOAH!" He abruptly stopped his shunpo in an attempt to keep himself from crashing into a small girl, with messy black hair, holding two small…potatoes? Byakuya silently gagged.

(A/N: Byakuya apparently dislikes pickles and potatoes)

He stopped a second too late, and crashed into her, causing her to fall and drop the potatoes. "DON'T STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, IDIOT!" He shouted, neglecting to mention the fact that _he_ had been the one to knock her over.

"I-I'm sorry…" The girl stood up, and stared at him. "I didn't realize I was in the way."

"Do you know who I am?" Byakuya shouted, his face slightly red.

"A Kuchiki. I'm sorry for getting in your way, my lord." The girl bowed slightly. Almost immediately, Byakuya felt guilty for shouting at her.

"BYA-BO!" Yoruichi came to a short stop behind him, and smacked his head. "Be nice! She's the person I wanted you to meet! Hisana, this is Kuchiki Bya-bo. Bya-bo, this is Hisana."

"It's nice to meet you, er…" Hisana paused, unsure of what to say.

"Kuchiki Byakuya…" he sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to ANYTHING this were-cat tells you," he pointedly glared at Yoruichi.

"Come on Bya-bo, you know you love me," Yoruichi quickly put Byakuya in a headlock and grinned at Hisana, who sweatdropped.

"Oi! Let me go you damn were-cat! Or else I'll snap your stupid cat neck in half!" Byakuya growled.

"ANYWAYS," Yoruichi spoke loudly over Byakuya's empty threats, "Hisana-chan, to celebrate Hanami, a friend of mine is having a fireworks display tomorrow! Come to Sereitei at around seven! Bya-bo will be there! Ja ne*!" She began to walk away, with a furious, red-faced Byakuya in tow.

"Wait!" Hisana shouted, "When is seven?" (A/N: I doubt they have clocks in Rukongai.)

"Right around afternoon and evening," Yoruichi shouted over her shoulder. "Be there or I'll come in drag you to Sereitei by your hair!"

Hisana stood there, long after they were gone. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, she slowly turned around, and looked at the gradually darkening sky.

"Rukia…" she whispered, "I've been invited into the Sereitei!"

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

Well…this is the second chapter. I know it dragged on a bit, but the Hisana Byakuya fluff starts around the next chapter or so, I promise!

Thank you if you read

Please review! Flames keep me warm, though too many will burn.

Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! It's me again!

Okay, yes, I know it's been a long time since I've updated…*please forgive me! * I've been INCREDIBLY busy! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! *bows*

Recently, I reread my first two chapters, and realized they turned out rather…not like the way I planned. Possibly, definitely, because I was half asleep when I wrote them...*I'm SO VERY sorry! * Tell me if you guys want me to re-post! Please! I'm begging you!

MILLIONS and MILLIONS of thanks to Juud, Lady Toky, LadiiAJ9, Master Solo, and ScarletLeaves for the reviews! And thank you to Juud and Lady Toky for reviewing both of my (rather poorly written) chapters! I love you all!

The disclaimer: I don't own Bleach…*sob*

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

"…Sama…Nii-sama…is Nii-sama alright?"

Byakuya opened his eyes and came face to face with Rukia's dark violet ones, so similar to Hisana's, yet so different at the same time. They were fiercer, darker, with less of Hisana's grace, but still managing to possess the same mesmerizing beauty.

"Yes Rukia, I am fine."

Byakuya stood up and quickly, while managing to keep his composure at the same time, walked away from Rukia. It seemed cold, almost cruel, but he could not afford to lose control in front of her.

_As a Kuchiki, I must not show emotions. As her brother, I cannot afford to show any signs of weakness._

He rushed down the hallways, barely acknowledging the servants with a nod, and quickly stepped into his room. The famous Kuchiki mask he wore at all times, ever since Hisana died, had been slipping away to often. How many people were to blame for this? The Kurosaki brat for sure, but who else was responsible? Was it really the fault of others, or was something odd happening? Was he finally moving on from Hisana's memory?

_That cannot be. It would dishonor her._

He crossed the room and laid down on his bed. The bed that had emptiness to it every morning, ever since the spring that since Hisana died. During Hanabi. The season when the ume and sakura blossoms bloom. They had both watched the silky pink petals flutter down, so slowly and delicately. As the last of the blossoms had drifted down to brush the ground, Hisana had drifted away with them.

_To a place beyond time, where nothing can bring her back._

The bond that he and Hisana had shared, the bond that had transcended a million and one obstacles, was gone. It had faded away, like a last starshine. In the end, the love they had shared wasn't powerful enough. Perhaps it never was powerful enough. It was a poor excuse for a bond.

_It was not a bond that could transcend time._

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

**Sob** I feel so terrible for writing such a faithless Byakuya….I know I promised HisanaXByakuya fluff but it didn't seem right to bring it in just yet. **sniff sniff** Please review and…..flames are welcome and…oh you know what I'll say! Now I must leave to go cry over the angst! **runs out of room**

All reviews are appreciated…..flames are also...but too many will burn...I need to be getting some sleep now...good night...or morning. :)


	4. Tanabata Omake part 1

**Hello everyone! ^,^**

**No, contrary to what some of you may believe, I have NOT abandoned this story… lately I've been incredibly busy with a LOT of things. **

**I wanted to update but things kept happening! And then a virus wiped everything out! I'M SO SORRY!**

**So for now, I'm posting this two part otaku/filler for your entertainment and wait for this sickness to go away and for finals to end ^.^**

**This is just a little story from the time our beloved Bya-bo and Hisana spent together as children! This is during Tanabata.**

**A little background info:**

**Tanabata celebrates the seventh moon, or the love story of and Hikoboshi , derived from a famous Chinese folk tale. During Tanabata, little wishes are written on strips of paper, often in poetry, which are hung on bamboo, and were sent across a river on paper boats around midnight during the Edo period.**

**Every seventh day of the seventh month, Orihime and Hikoboshi may meet across the bridge of stars.**

**You will find out why in this filler**

**(I know the Chinese version better than the Japanese, so there will be some differences…I tried my best to fix them)**

**I hope you enjoy!**

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

Tanabata. The seventh day of the seventh month, the day that Orihime and Hikoboshi, the noble and the commoner, could meet for a just a few moments. The day that wishes were sent out upon rivers in hopes of them coming true as the last glow of the two stars, the noble and the commoner faded.

"Hisana-chan! Over here!"

In one of the dusty streets of Inuzuri, a girl with messy black hair, and light, gentle lilac eyes, wearing a torn, dark pink yukata turned around, searching for the person that had shouted her name. A second later, her light lilac eyes locked on two heads in the crowd. One had glossy, short purple hair, and the other had long black hair, tied back with a ribbon.

"Yoruichi-san, Byakuya-sama!" She shouted, and waved. Shihoin Yoruichi, commander of the stealth force, captain of the second division, came dashing through the crowd, dragging a disgruntled Byakuya along behind her.

"Yoruichi-san, why did you want me?" Hisana asked, tilting her head slightly to her right. Yoruichi secretly smiled to herself. _She's so cute! Now to get Bya-bo into confessing his feelings…YOU NEED TO COME OUT CLEAN BYA-BO! YOU NEED TO TELL HER!_

She snapped out of her reverie only to see a puzzled Hisana and a mortified Byakuya staring at her like she had gone crazy.

"Come out clean…about what?" Hisana asked hesitantly, "Byakuya-sama are you sick?"

Yoruichi realized, just then, that she had just shouted her last sentence out loud instead of keeping it private.

"You damn feline Yoruichi! How many times have I told you that there's nothing?" Byakuya screamed, attracting the attention of most of the busy passerby.

"Ehehe ne, ne Bya-bo, that's what they all say!" Yoruichi stuck out her tongue and pulled the corner of one of her eyes down. (A/N think Haruhi Suzumiya's signature pose)

"Hisana-chan, are you doing anything today?" Yoruichi quickly changed the subject, sensing that Byakuya was about to explode and probably destroy half the street with the reiatsu explosion that was sure to come unless he was distracted.

It worked.

"Um…no actually," Hisana replied shyly, shuffling her feet in the dust, "But it's fine, really! I was thinking of catching up on some sleep today, and maybe eating a bit of-"

"You liar"

"Ehh? Did I say something wrong?" Hisana turned towards Byakuya, a horrified expression on her face. Byakuya's mask wavered for a moment, but it quickly snapped back into place.

"You liar. Baka. You clearly haven't had enough food to eat lately, whether it be a festival or not. Don't pretend you're not hungry."

Hisana blushed, "I-I'm not hungr-" she protested, only to be interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach.

**Awkward Silence**

"Like I said before, you're a liar." Byakuya stated flatly. Hisana turned five shade of red.

"Ah yes, speaking of food!" Yoruichi grinned and pointed up at the sky. "Hisana! Come celebrate Tanabata with me and Bya-chan!"

"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" Hisana stuttered, "I-I couldn't possibly impose like that! And besides I don't have a yukata!"

"Alright then it's settled!" Yoruichi interrupted, "LET'S GO!" She shouted, shunpoeing while dragging an exasperated Byakuya and a terrified Hisana behind her.

The whole marketplace stared after them, listening to Byakuya's screams of "YORUICHI YOU STUPID FELINEE!" mingled with Hisana's shrieks fade away. From a nearby stand, a Shinigami with a scraggly goat beard and a captains haori gave the disappearing trio a thumbs up. "That's my Byakuya! Give your family some grandchildren!" H chuckled as he went back to his third cup of sake.

Skipping Past Yoruichi's Terrifying Shunpo Ride

Yoruichi skidded to a stop in front of one of the buildings in the Kuchiki property and unceremoniously dropped Hisana and Byakuya onto the front step, where they landed on top of each other.

Hisana sat up and stared around. "So this is the Kuchiki property…" she mused. "Byakuya-sama, is this really where you… Byakuya-sama…?" Alarmed, she leaped up and shrieked "YORUICHI-SAN, BYAKUYA-SAMA IS…" just then she realized that Yoruichi, barely keeping herself from laughing, was pointing below her.

Hisana glanced down, and jumped. She was standing right on top of Byakuya's back, one foot on this back of his head.

"MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES!" She shrieked, as she jumped off. Before she could hear Byakuya reply, Yoruichi pushed her into the building, in front of a servant.

"Get her a bath and a nice yukata" she instructed, before shutting the door.

"Come dear," the elderly servant said, and began to lead a shell-shocked Hisana away.

"B-Byakuya-sama, standing on his head… disrespect… have to apologize…" Hisana stammered as she was led away.

"What was that dear?"

"O-Oh nothing nothing! I'm sorry I was just lost in my own thoughts and- oh…" Hisana's voice trailed away as she looked at the room before her. The whole room had a light, sweet scent of soap, and in the middle there was a large bathtub, with white, fluffy towels. Hisana, who had never seen such things while in Inuzuri , was too amazed to even move as she was undressed and led to the bathtub.

"You have such pretty eyes," one servant sighed as she rinsed Hisana's dirty hair. "It's such a pretty shade of purple… like lilacs!" She quickly lathered in peach scented soap.

"Oh…t-thank you!" Hisana brightened up and smiled. "Okay, just let me rinse this soap out and… there we go!" The girl quickly wrapped a towel around Hisana and led her into another room, this one with yukatas hanging on all the walls.

"My name's Mae by the way," the girl added as she opened a closet door.

"M-Mae-san…" Hisana whispered.

"Let's see… I think purple would just dim your eyes… blue would just wash everything out…" Mae mused, going through the different yukatas.

"Maybe… green… not we don't have the right shade… yes here we go!" Mae held up a light pink yukata with a pattern of sakura petals scattered across the bottom like they were following a breeze. She quickly slipped the fabric over Hisana, and added in a pink clip with a sakura blossom on it.

"There! Hisana-san, make sure to make Byakuya smile!" Mae cheered at she gave Hisana a pair of sandals and gently pushed her out the door right into Yoruichi.

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

Not the best, because it was a bit rushed. The second part will be here SOON! I PROMISE!

Please review ^,^

They make me enjoy writing so much more than I already do.


	5. Tanabata Omake part 2

**Hello again everyone! :D**

**Well, I meant to post this sooner if it wasn't for the fact that airplanes and hotels in China have no wifi… gomen no sai!**

**So here starts the second half of the omake. (It's actually a vital part of the story so DON'T SKIP THIS OMAKE!)**

**Waaa no reviews for chapter 4 D:  
Thank you, Juud, Lady Toky, JaKiwi, Scarlet Leaves, Master Solo, and LadiiAJ95 for reviewing the other chapters ^,^ **

**So for now, please bear with me! I already took long enough to update this story with the first half of the omake, so… feel free to throw random objects at me to vent your displeasure? As you read, listen to Fuzzy Blue Lights, Vanilla Twilight, and Hot Air Balloon by Owl City! :D**

**Part two of Tanabata, BEGIN! (Hope you all enjoy ^,^)**

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

"_There! Hisana-san, make sure to make Byakuya smile!" Mae cheered at she gave Hisana a pair of sandals and gently pushed her out the door right into Yoruichi._

"Ah! Hisana you're ready!" Yoruichi exclaimed stepping back to see what Hisana was wearing. "Mae certainly chose the right color… you look so CUTE!" Yoruichi shrieked and glomped Hisana, taking her completely by surprise.

"Y-Yoruichi-san," Hisana stuttered, "t-thank you… but you look much prettier! Your yukata is lovely!"

Yoruichi was dressed in a dark violet yukata with an opening on one side allowing her left leg to show. On the side that wasn't slit, was a large white flower reaching up to her obi with its vines. Yoruichi grinned and scratched the back of her head.

"Ehehe ne Hisana, I'm sure Bya-bo will agree with me more than you on terms of how we look," she teased, and gently pinched Hisana's cheeks.

"Come on," Yoruichi ordered, taking hold of Hisana's hand, "and let's go get Bya-bo. Poor little Bya-bo probably crashed into a tree trying to keep up with that pitiful turtle's crawl he calls a shunpo!"

"E-EHHH, YORUICHI-SAN?"

As they rounded the corner of the building, Hisana saw a beautiful person wearing a dark blue yukata stand up, illuminated against the sunset for the briefest second. The person, most likely a girl, had shoulder length black hair, so dark the reflected light made it seem blue, was held up with a dark red ribbon.

"She's so beautiful… is she an angel?" Hisana wondered, not realizing that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. Yoruichi snorted, and broke into gales of laughter, rolling around on the ground.

"Stupid feline…" the 'girl' growled, and turned to Hisana. "It's me."

Hisana's face turned five different shades of red, (three of which rivaled Renji's hair). "B-Byakuya-sama I'm s-so sorry I didn't realize because your hair is a bit long so I i-immediately assumed that a-and I'm so very sorry p-please forgive me Byakuya-sama it's just that you-"

"I look like a girl, I know," Byakuya cut Hisana's babbling short.

"Ahhh poor Bya-bo, forever doomed to the fate of looking feminine to the point that even his destined lover mistakes him for a girl!" Yoruichi teased. Byakuya immediately blushed red enough to make tomatoes look pale. Hisana just stood there, completely confused for a moment.

"You damn feline!" Byakuya shouted, "How many times have I told you that it's NOT going to happen?"

"U-um excuse me…" Hisana said hesitantly, but was, unfortunately, too quiet to be heard.

"They all say that," Yoruichi waved a hand dismissively, "I mean look at Jyuushiro and Retsu, even YOU, my dear ignorant Bya-bo, can see that they're in love, no matter how much Jyuushiro denies and Retsu gives her evil stare! There's also Shinji and Hiyori, and…um"

"You and that creep Urahara?" Byakuya suggested, an evil glint in his eye. Yoruichi quickly punched his head.

"Oh I'm sorry I could've SWORN there was a mosquito buzzing around!" Yoruichi said innocently.

"Y-you damn feline…" Byakuya groaned, curled up on the ground in pain.

"E-excuse me!" Hisana shouted, effectively gaining Byakuya and Yoruichi's undivided attention. "Ne, Hisana, what's wrong?" Yoruichi asked, concerned.

"I-I'm fine but Byakuya-sama, you have a lover?" Hisana asked, completely oblivious to all of Yoruichi's previous hints.

"…"

Byakuya facepalmed. Yoruichi almost died laughing.

_**Time Skip after Hisana's Incredible Oblivious Fail**_

"Hisana, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Bya-bo, you already know him, so go sit alone in the corner!" Yoruichi announced as she dragged Hisana to the riverbank. "Damn feline…" Byakuya growled for the millionth time that night as he followed after the pair. A tall man with messy pale blonde hair stood by the river shore, next to a large stack of boxes.

"Urahara Kisuke, meet Hisana-chan. Hisana-chan, this fool is Kisuke!" Yoruichi pointed at Urahara, who looked slightly offended by the 'fool' comment.

"I-It's nice to meet you… please regard me kindly" Hisana bowed.

"Why, what a lovely girl!" Urahara exclaimed, and patted Hisana's head. "How is such a polite girl a friend of someone like Yoru-AGHH!" Yoruichi's well-placed punch hit him right on the nose, effectively knocking him into the dirt.

"Y-Yoruichi… so cruel!" He wailed as Hisana stood there, dumbfounded.

"U-Urahara-san are you alright?" She stammered as she knelt down.

"I'm going to die~" Urahara moaned playfully.

"U-URAHAR-" Hisana's shriek was cut short by Byakuya's hand on her shoulder.

"He's faking it," Byakuya said dismissively. "Never take that creep seriously," he said coldly.

"S-so cruel all of you," Urahara complained as fake tears streamed down his face. "Ah well!" He stood back up and grinned. "Hisana-san, Yoruichi, Byakuya, you haven't had anything to eat, yes? Well I'd like to introduce to you a sweet pastry called doughnuts! (A/N This is for you, **Master Solo**, a blatantly American food with a reason!)

Urahara placed a small bag of what looked like round bread with a hole in the middle, and a colorful coating on top in front of Hisana and Byakuya.

"Well, go on and try!" he urged, "they're actually very good!"

"Sorry Kisuke, I'll pass." Yoruichi rolled her eyes, "I know better than to eat anything you give."

Hisana picked up a doughnut with white icing, and Byakuya took one with pink icing. They both stared apprehensively at the unknown food, and slowly took their first hesitant bites. Hisana's light lilac eyes widened, and Byakuya's eyebrows arched.

"This is good! Byakuya-sama, what do you think?" Hisana exclaimed, and her violet eyes glowed. Byakuya's face softened a fraction of a degree, and he smiled. It was almost imperceptible, but it was real.

A real smile, one that was gentle and warm.

Hisana's breath caught in her throat, and for a few, silent moments, the two gazed at each other. Yoruichi and Urahara took this chance to quietly sneak away.

Byakuya realized what he was doing, and quickly looked away. Hisana blushed, and developed and intense interest in the icing on her doughnut. For a few minutes, the air was thick and awkward. Hisana fidgeted and finally cracked. (A/N Byakuya will be a bit OOC here)

"B-Byakuya-sama…" she began hesitantly.

"Don't call me that." Byakuya said suddenly. Seeing Hisana's face fall, he quickly amended, "Just call me Byakuya… I prefer that." Hisana's smile returned, and Byakuya breathed a small sigh of relief. For a few more minutes, silence returned, but this one was comfortable.

"Byakuya sa… Byakuya… do you know the story behind Tanabata?" Hisana asked quietly, after gazing across the river.

"Mm… my parents never had time to tell me stories." Byakuya shrugged. Hisana looked absolutely horrified.

"But you have to hear this story, at least once in your life!" Hisana jumped up, and hopped over to sit next to Byakuya. The lights of the festival across the river framed her small figure like a gold aura, and her lilac eyes glowed with their own secret light. She took a small breath, and began talking.

"_They say that there was once a daughter of Tentei, whose name was Orihime. She would weave the most beautiful cloth for her father to wear, and this pleased him greatly. But Orihime was lonely, for as she sat by the river weaving, she had nobody to talk to, nobody to share her feelings with._"

Hisana glanced at Byakuya, who nodded to reassure her that he was listening. Hisana smiled, and gazed across the river again as she continued.

"_There was a kind, warm cowherd named Hikoboshi, who lived on the same side of the river. They didn't know each other, but slowly, they grew closer and closer, despite one being royalty, and the other being a commoner. Hikoboshi would stay and talk to Orihime, and they would both forget to attend to their duties. The cows ran across the land, trampling everything, and Tentei had nothing to make his clothes with. Greatly displeased, Tentei separated the couple across a wide river_."

Hisana's musical voice became slightly melancholic, and Byakuya, greatly absorbed in the story, found himself leaning forward, wanting to hear more. Hisana gave a small laugh when she saw him leaning forward, and continued.

"_This was the most terrible choice to make. Hikoboshi became withdrawn and cold almost devoid of emotion, and Orihime's tears refused to cease. It was said to be a love doomed from the start, because a love between noble and commoner may never happen._"

Hisana paused for a moment, and her lilac eyes became distant and cloudy. Her full, pale pink lips thinned as she pressed them into a slight frown.

"Go on," Byakuya said quietly, "do Orihime and Hikoboshi ever meet again?" Hisana turned the full force of her now clear, bright lilac eyes on his pale gray ones.

"They do," she whispered.

"_But this brief moment is perhaps even more sorrowful than being banned from meeting at all. On the seventh day of the seventh month, a flock of magpies felt pity for the two lovers and formed a bridge. The bridge never lasted long, but for a few precious moments, Orihime and Hikoboshi could meet. So every year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, magpies would form a bridge for the noble and the commoner to meet. It is a sad, sad thing, a pattern that must be repeated. Noble and commoner meet, and are separated, time and time again_."

Her words rang in Byakuya's mind, falling short and staying in his heart, like a dense, cold stone.

"_It is a sad, sad thing, a pattern that must be repeated. Noble and commoner meet, and are separated, time and time again_."

Forgetting who he was for a moment, he impulsively reached out and hugged Hisana to him. Hisana stiffened for a moment, and relaxed, allowing him to hold her.

"It is a sad thing… Byakuya sighed, and released Hisana, "but maybe one day, they can break the circle. If they truly wish for it, maybe they can break free."

Hisana reached into one of the boxes that Urahara left for them. A few seconds later, she had folded a small, delicate paper boat.

"They say that if you write your wish onto a paper and hang it onto a bamboo tree, or set it afloat in a river, it may come true" she smiled and offered Byakuya the paper boat, keeping his slightly tanned, large hands locked in her pale, small ones when he reached to accept it. His eyes widened, but he showed no indication of wanting to pull away. Her hands were warm, like her eyes.

"But I believe, that if you hold it to your heart, and think your wish, it will be heard, because your heart cannot lie. Your heart bends the truth, but in the end, if you look past the veils, you will see the true will of your heart." She looked directly at Byakuya, who had to fight against everything he learned to not look away from her clear lilac eyes.

"They say that your eyes convey the words you truly wish to say," Hisana continued. "They say that your eyes have a great power. They can instill fear, or joy, or calm. They say your eyes can communicate, that your eyes hold every memory of your life. Maybe, just maybe if we stare at each other and wish for the circle to be broken, Hikoboshi and Orihime, noble and commoner, will be able to break free at long last."

"If one person's eyes are as powerful as you say," Byakuya smiled, "then two people who wish dearly for something will surely be able to break the circle."

They stayed that way for minutes, hours, days, for all either of them knew, it could've been centuries. Time no longer mattered to them. And deep within each of their hearts, they, the commoner and the noble, wished for Orihime and Hikoboshi, the noble and commoner to be able to stay together at long last.

The paper boat that was set afloat that night drifted down the river, carrying the hopes and dreams of two children born on opposite sides of a wall. Two children whose story would be one to be remembered as a tragic love doomed to fall. Two children, a noble and a commoner, whose love, even through death, would survive through everything.

That night, was the night their story, so similar to Orihime and Hikoboshi, would begin.

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

Well everyone, only one or two chapters left before this story ends. We'll get to see some classic Ichiruki in one of the chapters, so please review! They're so greatly appreciated.


	6. Dead Pigeons

Hello again everyone ^,^

It's been awhile since I've updated…ehehe I had a huge case of writer's block

But that's all over, so, without further ado, (besides the thanks and disclaimer) here is the next part of A Love That Could Transcend Time!

Many many thank to **flyingsnow06** for reviewing! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach… sorry guys ^,^;

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

"Nii-sama?"

Byakuya jumped, and knocked over his cup of tea. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Rukia standing in front of him.

"Nii-sama did I startle you?" Rukia exclaimed, leaning forward a little bit.

"Don't be foolish Rukia… I merely… noticed that there was a bug on the cup." Byakuya coughed lightly to hide his humiliation.

"O-oh… all right…" Rukia fidgeted slightly, sneaking a nervous, expectant gaze at Byakuya when she was sure that he wasn't looking.

"… Yes Rukia?"

Rukia choked and almost fell over her own feet. "A-ano… Nii-sama… about my question from earlier concerning Hisana…"

Byakuya took a deep breath, in preparation.

_This is it. The moment I've been dreading. The moment of truth… the moment I tell Rukia about Hisana for the first time. You can do this Byakuya… you need to prove that you're a real man to the demon cat. You can do this. You can-_

Rukia sweatdropped. The moment she had mentioned Hisana, Byakuya had trailed off, muttering to himself.

"Nii-sama… forgive me for asking but… what are you going to do?"

Byakuya mentally facepalmed, realizing that he had spoken the last part of his pep talk aloud.

…_You can start off by learning to keep your thoughts to yourself._

"Nothing, Rukia…" Byakuya quickly coughed, to hide his humiliation… again.

"When I met Hisana… in truth, it was the demon ca- I mean, Yoruichi, who introduced us. I met you as well. About a month after I met Hisana, she brought you to see me."

* * *

"_Byakuya-sama, this is my little sister Rukia!" Hisana held up a small child, wrapped in a violet blanket with a rabbit embroidered on the side, in front of Byakuya's face._

"_Oh… I see…" Byakuya muttered, too distracted by Hisana's proximity to focus fully on Rukia._

"_So cold…" Hisana pouted. Byakuya's inner-self suffered a sudden nosebleed._

"_I-It's just… children tend to avoid me so…" Byakuya blushed, and glanced at Hisana, who smiled, and placed her hand on his shoulder._

"_It's all right, Byakuya-sama. Rukia is different!"_

"_Um… perhaps…" Byakuya stuttered, even more distracted by Hisana's small, warm hand on his shoulder. He was convinced his face was red enough to rival the color of his hair ribbon. Hisana giggled, and as they walked, Byakuya moved closer so that their hands were lightly brushing each other._

"_How is Rukia different?" He asked, when he was sure his face had returned to its normal color. Hisana's smiled, her familiar mysterious smile that she used when she was in deep thought._

"_Well, you see Byakuya-sama, Rukia is special. In her life, she'll play a great role, to many people, I'm sure of it. Because Rukia has the power to change a world."_

_They both came to a stop by the riverbank, and Hisana closed her eyes and tilted her head up to the sky._

"_She can change a person's world."_

_

* * *

_

"Nii-sama…" Rukia gasped, her violet eyes wide.

"So I knew Hisana for quite awhile." Byakuya turned his eyes back to his paperwork, the perfect image of the calm Kuchiki mask, when in truth, his inner-self was not calm at all.

_There. You told Rukia. You did it. You did it. Good job. You have passed the first level of-_

"Nii-sama… you're doing it again." Rukia deadpanned.

…_Damn it._

"…I simply haven't gotten enough sleep lately. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Rukia shook her head, and quickly began to back out of the room. "Not at the moment Nii-sama… thank you."

The moment the door closed, Byakuya slammed his head on his desk.

_Involuntary speaking of thoughts… Must be contagious._

_Damn you, demon feline.*_

"So Rukia, how'd it go?" Ichigo asked lazily, leaning on the railing outside of Byakuya's office.

"I-Ichigo!" Rukia stammered, "I didn't know you were there!"

"Che. Blind midget." Ichigo scoffed.

"Because your carrot top head blended in with the orange pillar, damn Strawberry!" Rukia growled, and punched Ichigo's 'carrot top head'.

"OW! VIOLENT MIDGET!"

"STUPID STRAWBERRY!"

"EVIL MIDGET WHO'SE STARE CAN KILL PIDGEONS IN MID-AIR!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

Behind Ichigo, a pigeon glanced at Rukia, screeched and burst into flames. (A/N: no pigeons were killed in the producing of this scene.)

"… Ichigo… it died…" Rukia whispered.

"… Like a battery." Ichigo deadpanned.

They stared at the pile of ashes on the railing awhile longer. Shinigami passing by simply sweatdropped and sighed, like it was an ordinary occurrence. (Which it was, considering how often Rukia and Ichigo argued.)

"Hey Midget, mind telling me that part about it not being true again?"

"… Shut up, Strawberry."

_**The site removed the line that I worked so hard to put in here. This is the separating line. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

And there you have it! Byakuya and Hisana make the cutest pairing, ne?

Don't worry, Hanatarou volunteered to clean up the ashes.

Please Review ^,^

Until next time, ja ne!


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